Stitch-down shoe and welt therefor



Au 24 192Q. 1,597,655

F. w. MERRICK STITCH-DOWN SHOE AND WELT THEREFOR Filed Jan'. 26. 1925wgw I $444 """I/////////////A Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. MERRICK, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STAYCOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTSYA CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STITCH-DOWN SHOE AND WELT 'TIIFIIEREFOR.

Application flied January The invention has relation to shoes of theout-turned upper or stitch-down class, and to \velts which are embodiedin such shoes.

One object of the invention is to produce 6 in the case of shoes of thesaid class, by means of a welt, the pleasing appearance which inGoodyear welt shoes has been secured through the employment of corksoles. Anotherobject thereof is to provide for more completely coveringand concealing by means of a welt the seam (stitched or stapled) bywhich-in some shoes of the stitch-down class the upper of a shoe issecured to the sole along the line where the upper contacts with andchanges direction outward upon the top surface of the sole. Anotherobject is to secure by means of a welt a bolstering and cushioningeifect which will obviate the discomfort heretofore caused to the footof the wearer of a stitchdown shoe by the inner edge of a welt of theform customarily employed prior to my invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichlatter,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe having the invention embodied inits structure.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on a larger scale than Fig. 1.

of the welt.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a welt-strip prior to being given the finalform of a welt.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a shoe embodyingin itsconstruction a welt of the form heretofore customarily employed.

The shoe-upper is marked 1 in Figs. 1

t0 and 2, and also in Fig. 5. The slip-sole and outer sole are marked 2and 3, respectively. The welt in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is marked 4, and thatin Fig. 5 is marked 45. At 5, Figs. 2 and 5, is the line of stitches ofa seam securing the upper to the slip-sole and producing the anglebetween the vertical portion of the upper and the portion thereof whichextends outward horizontally upon the top surface of the slip-sole. At51, Figs. 1, 2 :and 5, is the line of stitches of the seam by which thewelt, upper-flange or margin, and the slip-sole 2 and outer sole 3, arefastened together.

Referring first to Fig. 5, it will be observed that the welt is a flatstrip of Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a modified form 26, 1925. SerialNo. 4,656.

material having its inneredge close against the vertical portion of theupper. One drawback incident to the employment of this fiat strip isthat in some cases the said inner edge fails to cover and conceal theline of fastenings 5 of the first or inner seam.

Another is that while the shoe is being worn the foot of the wearer,spreading laterally under the weight of the wearer, extends the upperoutward so that portions of the foot take bearing upon the top of theinner edge of the welt. This causes discomfort.

' In accordance with the present invention I employ a welt 4:, Figs. 1,2, 3, having a horizontal portion that is applied to theoutwardly-extending horizontal marginal portion of the upper, and anupstanding moulded bead 42 along the inner edge of the welt, risingabove the plane of the horizontal portion of the welt. The stitches 51by which the Welt, upper-margin, and sole or soles are secured together,pass through the said horizontal portion of the welt. The bead 42 servesto conceal efiectually the line of fastenings 5 of the first or innerseam. In addition, it constitutes a bolster or cush ion providing alateral support for the vertical portion of the upper, and the wearersfoot within the shoe, so as to prevent the foot, in spreading, fromresting upon a sharp corner. Further the bead presents to the eye thesame appearance as the exposed edge of a cork sole, producing thereby anentirely new effect in stitch-down shoes.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the exterior of the head is constituted by thesmoothfinished top surface of the strip of material of which the welt is made.made of a strip 41, Fig. 4;, of leather of a width sufficient to providefor the lateral doubling of such strip in making the welt. This strip isskived for a portion' of its width to a feather edge as in Fig. 4:, orto approximately a feather edge. The skived strip is doubledtransversely uponitself, so as to turn the skivedv portion of its widthlaterally into contact with the underside of the remainin portion ofsaid width, and the rounded doubled lon itudinally'extendingside-portion is moul so as to shape the same in cross-section, and causeit to stand up, as in Figs. 2 and 3. The doubling is effected along ornear the junction of the 'skived portion of the strip with the In thisinstance the welt is unskived lportion, so that the total thickness ofthe we t is increased at" and adjoining the bend. This increasedthickness supplements the u turning of the bend 'so as to produce the eect of a bead.

In Fig. 2 the feather edge of the skived .portion of the width of thewelt-strip is exposed in the shoe, but being very thin does notinjuriousl affect the ap earance or character of t e edge of the we t.In practieethe feather edge ma be located back from the edge of theunskived portion of the welt, so as to be {com letely concealed when thewelt is combine I with the other parts eta shoe. In these two instancesthe exposed outer welt-ed is either of substan tiall a solid single t'ckness of material, or who ly'so. This improves the character and apearance of the welt-edge in the completed shoe. Althou h the procedureinvolving skiving and doubing produces a highly desirable welt, theinvention inits broadest asect is not limited to a welt of skived andoubled construction.

What is claimed as the invention is 1. A- shoe of the out-turned up eror stitch-down class having applied to t e outturned margin oi its uppera welt composed of a horizontal portion resting upon the out-turnedmargin of the upper, and an upstanding mou ded bead formm a lateralcushion above the plane of said orizontal portion, the welt-securingstitches assin through such horizontal portion, tlie said out-turnedupper margin and the sole.

2. .A' shoe of the out-turned upper or stitch-down class, having appliedto the out-turned margin of its upper a welt composed of a strip havinga ortion of its width skived to a feather ge, said strip doubledtransversely upon itself so as to turn the skived portion laterally intocontact with the underside of the remainin portion of said width, withthe rounded oubled longitudinally extendin portion moulded to orm anupstandin ad the securing stitches passin throug the horizontal portionofthe we t. i

3. A welt composed of a strip havin a portion of its width skived to afeat er edge, said strip doubled transversely upon itself so as to turnthe skived rtion laterally into contact-with the un ersidc of theremaining portion of said width, with the rounded doubled longitudinallyextending side portion moulded to form an upstanding bead.

FRANK W. MERRIGK.

